Garment fasteners



Sept. 3, 1963 J. L. CADLEY GARMENT FASTENERS Filed May 12, 1960 FIG.8

FIG.7

INVENTOR. Jpkn Luc -41's.; BY

. automatic production;

My invention relates to garment fasteners .andin' particular to snap fasteners for brassieres and the like, which may be releasedby finger pressure, instead of having to be ripped apart, as is common with the usual snap fasteners now in use.

1 My preferred tormof snap fastener consists of a socket member and a separable slide member. The socket member consists of a one-piece stamping of thin spring material having a strap slot at one end, an integral latch portion comprising a tonguehaving a free end facing the strap slot punched from. the plane of the body and side 1] United States Patentfifitice 'may be formed; FIG. 2 is a plan view of a socket memportions folded over on each side of the forward portion of the latch to form a groove and socket to stop and limit the forward thrust of the separable slide. "It is apparent that both members lend themselves to low cost, The slidemember is a flat ring stamping of sheet material having a strap slot at one end and matching the shape of the spring latch portion of the body member and adapted to depress same and drop over the free end thereof and expose the latch to finger pressure.

In operation the slide member is slipped in the grooves of the socket member only as lar. as permitted by the FIG. 3, showing the slide in position; FIG. 6 illustrates the assembly with the slide member ofFIG. 4 rotated: around the latch of the socket member; FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a modification. Similar reference characters relate to similar parts throughout the several views.

In FIG. 1 is shown a blank of thin sheet spring material from which the entire socket member 'lllis formed, having an integral upsprung latch tongue portion 9, symmetrical side members 7 and 3, and a strap slot 6 punched out at the end 5 of the blank. The side members 7 and 8 are folded over the forward part of latch 9 to form a stop as shown in FIG. 2. .Theyare spaced from the flat body of the blank a distance corresponding to the thickness of the slide material (FIG. 5) to form the grooves and socket for the reception of the ring 4, which ring has a strap slot 2 at the end 1 and an opening 3 to correspond with the shape of thelatch 9. Thus when the ring slide is inserted-into the groove and socket of the body'member 10 (FIG. 5), it rides up over the latch 9, wedges it down,

and then the latch snaps upto eX-posed position through the opening 3, restraining the slide 4 but permitting a degree of rotation of the slide around the latch, as illustrated in FIG. 6.

folded sides and slides over the upstanding spring latch portion, depresses it and surrounds it as it snaps up into exposed position into the matching opening of the ring, thereby preventing withdrawal of the slide until the latch is depressed. Finger pressure, depressing the latch, automatically releases the slide, as the tension on the straps separates the members. 1

For brassieres and other garments where a single fastener is used, my preferred shape of latch is circular and of such'size as may readily be depressed by a finger.

f'lhis shape permits a slide with a matching circular opening. to rotate around the circular latch to a considerable (Dther shapes of socket members may be formed from blanks, as shown in FIG. 7, where side members 7a and 8a are folded over to give a rectangular configuration,

member of flat, thin, spring material having a strap slot therethrough at oneend, an integral latch portion updegree and thus provide freedom of movement without 1 strain on the garment. For other garments, variousother shapes may be'preferred, as for instance a rectangular shape as shown in the drawings.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction described in this specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiment of 9 the invention, within the scope of what is claimed, without departing drom the spirit of the invention. I intend no illustrates a blank from w hicha socket or body member sprung from the plane of the body member comprising a circular tongue having a free end facing said strapslot, and stop members folded over on each side of the latch portion torwar-d thereof and spaced from said plane to form grooves for the reception of a fiat slide member and a separable one piece fiat ring member of a thickness substantially equal to the dimension of said spacing, having a slot at one end and adapted to depress said tongue, drop over said free end, and expose said tongue to finger pressure. I

2. A fastener, as recited in claim 1, in whichthe latch portion of said body membe r and the opening in said ring member are of such matching shape and size as to permit q rotation of said slide about said latch.

References Cited in-the file of this patent UNITED'STATES PATENTS 492,131 Adams Feb. 21, 1893 760,311 Cleary; May 17, 1904 1,995,115 Douglas Mar. 19, .1935 2,697,820 Elliott Dec. 21, '1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 1 723,985 France Apr. 18, 1932 Patented Sept. 3, 1963" 

1. A GARMENT FASTENER COMPRISING A ONE PIECE BODY MEMBER OF FLAT, THIN, SPRING MATERIAL HAVING A STRAP SLOT THERETHROUGH AT ONE END, AN INTEGRAL LATCH PORTION UPSPRUNG FROM THE PLANE OF THE BODY MEMBER COMPRISING A CIRCULAR TONGUE HAVING A FREE END FACING SAID STRAP SLOT, AND STOP MEMBERS FOLDED OVER ON EACH SIDE OF THE LATCH PORTION FORWARD THEREOF AND SPACED FROM SAID PLANE TO FORM GROOVES FOR THE RECEPTION OF A FLAT SLIDE MEMBER AND A SEPARABLE ONE PIECE FLAT RING MEMBER OF A THICKNESS SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE DIMENSION OF SAID SPACING, HAVING A SLOT AT ONE END AND ADAPTED TO DEPRESS SAID TONGUE, DROP OVER SAID FREE END, AND EXPOSE SAID TONGUE TO FINGER PRESSURE. 